PURPOSE. To differentiate the definitions of spirituality and religiousness as used in nursing literature.
DATA SOURCES. Journal articles, books, book chapters.
DATA SYNTHESIS. The nursing literature has been inconsistent in defining spirituality and religiousness. The spirituality literature defines spirituality as the broader concept, with religiousness as a subconcept, while the religiousness literature defines religiousness as the broader concept, with spirituality as a subconcept.
CONCLUSIONS. Spirituality and religiousness are two separate nursing diagnoses with some common elements to both.
PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. The growth of parish nursing as an ANA-recognized specialty practice has heightened the awareness of caring for the human spirit. Clarity is needed in the terms used to define this specialty.
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